On Thursday March 23 at 7:00 p.m., we'll be discussing John Wyndham's final novel Chocky. Completed in 1968, this story originally appeared as a novelette in Amazing Stories in 1963
From the back cover:
Even if you haven't heard of John Wyndham, it's a good bet that you've heard of his work. As a writer he hit his stride after World War Two and, much like Philip K. Dick who came after, tapped into the zeitgeist of the times. Like PKD many of his works where transformed over and over into radio plays, movies and TV shows."It's not terribly unusual for a boy to have an imaginary friend, but Matthew's parents have to agree that his--nicknamed Chocky--is anything but ordinary. Why, Chicky demands to know, are there twenty-four hours in a day? Why are there two sexes? Why can't Matthew solve his math homework using a logical System like binary code?"
"Chocky, ...is a playful investigation of what being human is all about, delving into such matters as child-rearing, marriage, learning, artistic inspiration--and ending with a surprising and impassioned plea for better human stewardship of the earth."
His novel, The Midwich Cuckoos, came to the big screen (more than once) as the Village of the Damned. Perhaps even more famous is the screen adaptation of his tale of vegetable monsters, The Day of the Triffids.
In 1984 the BBC adapted Chocky into a television series for children, which would seem to suit gentle, but no less fascinating story.
Malvern is stocked with extra copies of this brief novel, and there's plenty of time to read it before the meeting, but since this isn't school, there'll be no quiz! No worries if you haven't read it, or have no intention to. If you enjoy discussing books--especially the type that don't concern themselves too much with the rules of reality the rest of us have to live by, then come and spend an hour with us.
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